As most brands nowadays renew their smartphone offer in one-year cycles and most of the times choose a specific month to release their products, there is a lot to expect and speculate about for the rest of the year. Here are some of the most eagerly awaited smartphones for 2017, as well as some trustworthy information and leaks about them.
This year has already seen the release of some of the top mobile companies’ flagship devices, such as Samsung Galaxy 8, LG G6, Huawei P10 and, most recently, Blackberry KEYone, but there are still many players looking to release their latest models. We rounded up some of the top upcoming releases and rumours for 2017.
iPhone 7S, 7S Plus… or is Apple jumping straight to iPhone 8?
In terms of release dates and names, Apple has been one of the most predictable brands: after a new edition, there is the “S” version, and they come out somewhere in mid-September. So it’s safe to say that by the end of summer we will have the new iPhone 7S, right? Maybe, but there are also rumours pointing out that Apple might also release the iPhone 8 this year, breaking a cycle that has been going on for almost a decade.
One thing is certain: whatever comes out of Apple’s design team this year, it will have a new OLED screen, as Apple is finally making the move to this type of screen. We can also assume iOS 11 will be onboard, as it is expected to be unveiled at WWDC on June 5th, as well as a new A11 chip. Much less predictable are the rumoured switches to an all-glass chassis, as well as the end of the Home button and, as some sources have pointed out, even Touch ID technology could be left out. We will have to wait until (probably) September to be sure, but the debate is on.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Besides the Galaxy smartphone, Samsung is also renewing their Galaxy Note phablet line, so we can expect a Galaxy Note 8 release throughout this year, maybe in late September or October, roughly six months after the release of the S8. Still struggling to recover from the major battery issues (among others) in previous versions, Samsung will bring some new features to the Note series, such as a 12MP Dual camera and a new S-Pen that could reportedly come with a speaker in the pen shaft, and will certainly borrow some from the S8, with the “Infinity Display” being the most notable. There are also sources stating that Samsung will go bigger than ever with a 6.4 inch screen and 6GB of RAM, but perhaps the biggest question is: what will Samsung do about the next Note battery, after the disaster on the Note 7? Hopefully, the south Korean tech giant has used this time to take the necessary measures.
LG V30
After the praise garnered by the V20, expectations are high for the next generation of the LG V series and even though it is still a few months away (the V20 was released last September, so the V30 will hardly come earlier than that, with October being the best bet) there are already a few interesting rumour circling the web. First, the V30 could be the first LG smartphone with an OLED display, could go up to 6GB RAM and also build on some of its predecessors characteristics, such as the secondary display used to provide additional information and an upgrade on the Quad DAC audio. Most of this has not been confirmed yet, but the V30 is surely one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2017.
Nokia 3310
We couldn’t leave out of this list one of the most eagerly awaited “resurrections” of the last few years, the legendary Nokia 3310. Nokia has decided to bring back one of the most iconic phones ever made, with some new features and others straight from the original phone. Yes, it will have Snake! But it will also have a 2,4” TFT screen, Bluetooth, 2MP video recorder and a battery that will reportedly last a whole month. Nokia’s website also displays the price: you will soon be able to purchase this piece of nostalgia for 49€ (something like $75), as the expected release date is somewhere between May and June.
